The present invention relates to payment monitoring systems, and more particularly to encouraging timely periodic payments by automatically disabling a computer system if an periodic payment is not timely received.
Computer systems are often purchased on time or leased over an extended period. Alternatively, computer systems are often packaged free or at a minimal cost with other products such as software licenses or with other services such as Internet services. Whether organizations collect payments for the computer system itself or for products/service packaged with the computer system, consumers often procure computer systems with little or no money down. In such cases, the organizations providing the consumers with the computer systems depend greatly upon receiving timely periodic payments from their costumers on a periodic basis in order to remain profitable. Due to their dependence on timely periodic payments, these organizations appreciate cost effective mechanisms which increase the likelihood of receiving timely periodic payments from their customers.
Accordingly, a need exists for a cost effective mechanism which increases the likelihood of receiving in a timely manner periodic payments associated with a computer system.
The present invention addresses the above-identified need, as well as others, with a method and apparatus of automatically disabling a computer system in the event of untimely or none payment of a periodic fee. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of encouraging timely periodic payments associated with a computer system. The method includes the step of storing passwords in the computer system wherein each password is associated with a separate payment period. Another step of the method includes determining based upon the passwords stored in the computer system whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period. The method also includes enabling use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password corresponds to the current payment period.
Pursuant to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer system that encourages timely periodic payments. The computer system includes a non-volatile storage medium, a system clock, a processor, and memory. The non-volatile storage medium includes passwords in which each password is associated with a separate payment period, and the system clock is operable to provide a system time. The processor is operably coupled to the non-volatile storage medium, the system clock, and the memory. The memory includes instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine based upon the system time and the plurality of passwords whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period. The instructions of the memory when executed by the processor further cause the processor to enable execution of user processes based upon determining that the supplied password corresponds to the current payment period.
Pursuant to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium for encouraging timing periodic payments associated with a computer system. The computer readable medium includes instructions which when executed by the computer system cause the computer system to determine based a group of passwords associated with a group of payment periods whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period. The instructions when executed by the computer system further cause the computer system to enable use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password corresponds to the current payment period.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for encouraging timely periodic payments that are associated with a computer system.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful for encouraging timely periodic payments that are associated with a computer system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which disable use of a computer system in order to encourage timely periodic payments.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which encourages timely periodic payments without being overly intrusive if timely periodic payments are made.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for cost effectively encouraging timely periodic payments associated with a computer system.